The Warm Up with Kyle Wood - Bootcamp Ideas

kyle-wood_1_03-25-2025_092023:
Okay, let's talk about something

important today, which is how do you
find your first 10 or so clients?

I had a, an email newsletter reader email
me the other day and they said, oh, hey

Kyle, how do I wanna start a bootcamp?

How do I start it when
I've got no following?

And it's a good question,
but the thing is, you.

Don't need a following what
you need for your business.

Uh, depends in terms of marketing, depends
on what stage your business is at, and

if you're looking to just start getting
into personal training or starting a

bootcamp, or maybe you want to start
like small group training, uh, or you

wanna start online training or you wanna
start an online program or anything.

Anything which is different
from what you usually run.

There's a different way you need to
go about doing that to the way that

say, a gym or a bootcamp that has a
hundred members has, it's gonna go

about getting another 10 clients.

So that's what we wanna talk
about today is the starting point.

Because what I see, at least what gets
marketed to me, uh, from other gurus out

there in the industry, is that you need
to either be doing one of two things.

You either need to be.

Creating social media content and they're
gonna show you how to create a social

media content, or you need to ditch
social media content and you need to

be running social media ads and they're
gonna show you how to run those ads.

And both of these camps are just
fighting with each other all the time.

And the truth is that you
do not need either of those.

You do not need ads if you, you do
not need to be making lots of social

media content if you get started.

In fact, if you just do that from day one.

You are gonna really struggle and
you're gonna lose a lot of money.

There's a better way.

It's free.

It doesn't cost anything, doesn't
even use a lot of your time, uh,

to get your first 10 clients.

And then if later you decide, oh, I wanna
run ads, or I want to create content

doing this first, it's going to give you
a much better basis to do that front.

So is that enough of the all you
want to watch today's or watch

or listen to today's episode?

Uh, I think so.

I think we've passed the hook.

Now.

Let's get into.

Um, some practical tips I'm gonna
show you today step by step.

Um, what I recommend people do
to get their first 10 clients.

What I've used myself, what I've seen
other people use, um, this stuff works.

So, but first, uh, two things.

Um, there's two things you that are gonna
help you a lot with this strategy, and

the first one is an understanding of why.

Finding the number 10 of
10 new clients is magical.

Part of that is, um, okay, let's,
let's talk about an example.

Back when I was saying as a trainer, it
wasn't social media or social media ads

that were the big way to get clients.

If you asked a guru back then,
how do I get more clients?

How do I get some clients
that would say referrals?

Always referrals.

And a lot of the marketing we did back
then was, which is really a bit of a lost

art and a lost skill that still works
very well today was around referral.

Like generating more referrals.

Encouraging more referrals.

But the problem was that if you're
just starting out, you've got no

clients who's gonna refer people to.

So that's where this idea of
having 10 clients comes in.

If you can get 10 clients.

And from that first 10, you can
get 10 referral, 10 more clients.

Um, then you've got a proven idea.

You, if your bootcamp is that
good, that 10 clients will generate

another 10 clients for you.

Then you're onto something.

If you get 10 clients and you struggle
to then turn that into 10 more clients.

That's a bit of an example that maybe
what you are offering still isn't

quite what people are looking for.

You want those first 10 to have had such
a good experience, they can't help but

want to bring more people along into
that, to share that experience with them.

So that's something to
think about from day one.

And also it's, it's really good
because I think I see a lot of

trainers start sort of a bootcamp
just, you know, with whatever.

They're like, oh yeah, this
sounds, seems like a good idea.

And then.

Two years later, they're still struggling.

This way you can fail very quickly,
which is, which is really good.

We want to know whether our bootcamp
actually is going to keep things

going or whether we need to go back
to the drawing board and restart.

It's not.

It is not a bad thing.

It's not a bad thing at all.

And my wife had this recently with her
business where she was running group

sessions and they weren't growing, they
weren't growing, they weren't growing.

Those first 10 were not
turning into 10 more.

So she went back to the drawing
board, she relaunched them.

It's the same thing.

It's just packaged differently.

Um, and that got more people in the door.

And then that has led to more referrals.

So if you have, if you
start your bootcamp.

It doesn't work and you need to
stop, reset, think about how you're

gonna do this, go again, then, um,
that's not, that's not a bad thing.

I just want to give you like,
permission to do that and not

feel like that's a failure.

In fact, being a failure is running it
for 2, 3, 4 years and then not growing

and not doing anything about it.

That sounds harsh to you are I don't
guys, to think you're a failure either.

Good on for you for getting
out there and doing it.

Um, okay, so that's the first thing.

So the first thing is that I wanted
you to know was that 10 clients

gives you solid information.

The um, because if those 10 clients
then turn into 10 more clients,

there's something missing or there's
something off with what's going on.

The second thing is confidence.

How confidently you speak about
what you do is going to do a

lot of the selling for you.

So when you're having those initial
conversations with people about

what you want to do, if you are not
speaking confidently about it, then

you'll really struggle
to get people to buy in.

Again, it's a bit of a catch 22.

You're just getting started.

You're not a hundred percent
confident about this.

So what we can do is we can use
some of our excitement about our

new idea to fake it, and we can.

And the more you talk about what you do,
the more confident you will become in it.

And that's also the
purpose of this first hand.

This first hand is going to build your
confidence so that you can then get the

next 10, and the next 10 and the next 10.

So confidence and know that you will
feel nervous and you will suck at first.

If you are just entering the fitness,
fitness industry and you're listening

to this and you think about thinking
about starting your first bootcamp,

you yeah, you will, you will suck.

I'm just gonna give you a straight up,
honest, uh, but it will get better.

And it will get better the
more you talk about it.

The more you do it, the more sessions
you run, the more people you help.

So get started.

There's only one way through that.

Okay, so now let's talk about
actually finding your first 10.

So once you've created your idea of, um,
what you want to create, so maybe doing

small group, maybe you want to run a
retreat, maybe you're running a boot camp.

Maybe you're getting back into
personal training, whatever it is.

The next step, um, is to look
at your existing network.

So the people, you know, colleagues,
ex-colleagues, friends, family, um,

people you know, through different
social groups, things like that.

Look at.

Those people and, and write down a list.

Start making a list.

Make a list of 10 people who you
think would possibly be interested

in what you you're starting.

And then reach out to them.

Be like, Hey, don't try and
sell them into the bootcamp.

Just reach out to 'em and say,
Hey, I'm starting this boot camp.

I thought you might be someone
who might be interested.

'cause I know you are not doing any.

You know, I know you've just finished
up at that or you've just come back from

overseas and you haven't got an exercise
thing, or you're just returning back

to exercise after having a, your child.

Like whatever it is, um, whatever
it is that you are offering.

Uh, or you know, if you are
getting into old adult stuff like

that, you might be like, Hey, I'm
reaching out because I think, um.

You know, I'm finding like strength
training's really important to

me at this stage in my life.

So I'm starting a, a strength training
club for, for people who are over 50.

Um, and I just wanted to see if you'd
be interested in, in joining us.

Um, and that's it.

Like, it's just, it's really low,
like low pressure, just starting

a conversation with people.

And just asking them, is this
something that you'd be interested in?

Um, and then it's just continuing
that conversation to the point

where you can ask them to sign up.

Uh, and that's how you should
be finding first 10 clients.

Shouldn't be creating a bunch of content.

Shouldn't be.

Running ads or anything like that.

Like your idea is unproven if, because
if you message 10, 20, 30 people and

none of them sign up and you are like,
well, that's who I'm creating this for.

Then something's missing from day one.

So again, that's a good sign
because you're like, oh, well I.

What's going on here?

Like, I'm, am I not talking
about it in the right way?

Yeah, maybe it's my confidence.

Um, you know, and it helps you get that
offer right from day one, which, if you

can get that right, that's just gonna
make the rest of the thing so much easier.

So yeah, just that initial reaching
out, this is what I'm doing.

Would you be interested?

Um.

Really make it sound fun,
make it sound interesting.

Um, yeah, don't, don't put a lot of
pressure and if you don't know what

you're creating yet, if you're just like,
I just wanna help this group of people,

the conversation might look different.

It might be like, Hey, I'm looking
at starting something to help.

I.

Uh, people like you and me who are
at this age or at this stage in

our life, um, what, what have you
tried or what do you think would

be helpful to you at this stage?

And then you might use these
conversations, these firsthand

conversations to actually come up with
what you want, um, your bootcamp or small

group or whatever it is to look like.

All right, so the other thing you
can do to expand your network is

to meet with people face to face
who have this common interest.

So if you're targeting a certain age group
or a certain demographic or a certain type

of person, where do they hang out already?

What clubs and groups
are they part of already?

Can you join those clubs and groups?

And have conversations with people.

And then, you know, inevitably
it's gonna come up that, oh

yeah, I'm a personal trainer.

Oh yeah, I'm, or maybe I'm just,
just starting out as a personal

trainer and I'm starting at bootcamp.

Uh, and that's gonna come up and that's a
natural way to, to have that conversation.

So look at where these groups
are already hanging out in your

communities online and offline.

And can you join them and become an
active participant in those groups?

Um, yes, it's a lot of work, but.

Spending two to five hours creating
one reel is also a lot of work.

So I'm, I mean, I know which one I
would enjoy, and that's like, even

as an introvert, I think I would
prefer to just like, hang out with

people who I think are pretty cool.

Um, and have a few conversations than
spend two to five hours scripting a

reel, shooting it, editing it, um,
uploading it, and then hoping that

I get a client or two out of it.

Yeah, I don't have anything
else to say about that.

Uh, the other thing is, uh, when you
chat to someone, obviously everyone

uses messages these days, but if you can
call them on the phone, if you can be

like, Hey, can I give you a buzz later?

Um, and we can just chat.

It's just so much better.

'cause you can ask questions then it's
so staccato asking questions with someone

through social media because it depends.

Or like a messaging app.

'cause it depends what they're doing.

If they're busy.

At the time that they're trying to
message you back, you're only gonna get

one word answers and things like that.

But if you can actually arrange a phone
call with someone or be like, Hey,

can I take you out for, for coffee?

Or something like that so that you
can actually pick their brain, you're

gonna get a much better result.

Uh, and the other thing is, if you find
someone who is interested and they want

to sign up, the first thing you should
ask them is, Hey, do you have any friends?

Or do you know anyone who you
think would also be interested

and get their contact details?

Because a warm prospect like that,
like someone who's been recommended

to you, um, and can give you an intro,
is gonna be way better again, than

to s speaking to the masses online.

So yeah, this is, this is
the way, it's definitely like

way more boots on the ground.

Um, but this is the way that.

A, you're gonna create a really
good new group fitness option out in

the world because you're getting so
much feedback through this process.

You're not just getting crickets,
you're getting actual feedback

because you're having conversations
with people compared to online where

you just, if people don't resonate
it with, they just weren't engaged.

Um, and you're getting, uh,
you're building your confidence

because the more you have these
conversations, the more confident

you'll get talking about what you do.

And you will get, you will get some
real clients out of this as well.

Uh, even if they are, it is
like your cousin at the moment,

like, who's one of your clients.

Um, and it's just kind of
doing it to help you out.

Like that's fine.

Like, 'cause once they start coming I'll
be like, oh, I can think of two other

people who I think would be really good
for this, and they'll outcome as well.

So that's, I think that's a,
that's where I'm wrapping up.

The last thing is like, what
do you do after you get your

first, your first 10 clients?

You get your first 20, and what
I find is 20 for a group fitness

business is really the tipping point.

20 is where you've got enough
people that if you lose one or

two, you don't feel it as much.

Whereas when you have 10 people and you
lose one or two, you feel it a lot, but

you get to 20 and by 20 you'll have found.

One to three clients who are really
amazing at referring people to

you, and they will become kind
of your referral engine and, and

bring a lot of people into you.

Uh, and also, yeah, you're just kind
of getting big enough to create a bit

of a buzz as well around what you do,
um, which is really important as well

in the early days that people are
talking about it, that they're saying,

oh, hey, there's this new bootcamp, or
there's this new group fitness thing.

Or you, and you need to get.

I find 20 is that number that's
that starts happening and you

start getting a bit momentum.

Bit of momentum becomes less about
you driving that thing all the

time and more about that momentum.

But don't overwhelm yourself
by being like, I need to get

20 clients straight away.

Start with 10.

10 is very achievable, and
I'll say it one more time.

If you can't get 10 for your idea.

It's back to the drawing board.

This needs to look different.

Uh, and you can ask the people
who say no, say, Hey, do you mind

giving me some feedback on why you
don't think it's a good fit for you?

Some people won't reply.

It feels awkward asking for feedback.

We're not.

Taught to do that.

We weren't taught as, as kids in school.

When we got an answer wrong, the
teacher told us why we got it wrong.

Um, we didn't have to say, Hey, can you
gimme some feedback on why that's wrong?

In fact, that might've got you
in trouble in school for being

like, for questioning the teacher.

So of course you feel weird about it.

So it is not a natural thing.

To us, but it is gonna be a really
helpful skill for you to learn.

And that's again why I want you to
do it this way and not the online way

because you'll learn so much more.

And then, 'cause you've had all these
conversations, if you do decide, like

I said, you want to do ads or you want
to create content, you now know exactly

the kind of content or the type of
ads you need to create to attract this

type of person because you've actually
gone out and talked to them and gone

to understand them and know what.

Their issues are and
what they're looking for.

Alright.

And with that, I'm gonna
wrap this episode up.

I think it's very complete.

Uh, if you've got any questions,
you can ask 'em directly on Spotify,

or you can go to the podcast, this
podcast episode on bootcamp ideas.com

and you can leave a question to in the
comments I'll, um, write back to you.

Uh, but yeah, uh, thank you so much for
listening and I will see you next week.